


Pucky_Brewster has sent you a private message

by Poutini



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Chapter 1 - David POV, Chapter 2 - Patrick POV, M/M, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:47:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28351914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poutini/pseuds/Poutini
Summary: The anonymity of the internet provides David Rose a safe place to seek out information and advice about entrepreneurship and matters of the heart.It's funny how fate works, though.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 55
Kudos: 197





	1. Chapter 1

The only Rose family member who would be of  _ any _ use is Johnny, and given David has just learned that his parents financed his galleries in New York, not-so-subtly revealing their lack of faith in David’s business acumen, he’s  _ hardly _ going to go to his father for help.

With a sigh, David logs on to Reddit, creates an account, finds r/smallbusinesshelp, and types up a post entitled “Rural entrepreneurship logistics” with a few of the questions he has scribbled on his notepad. 

Within a few minutes, he has responses from some armchair experts, but they’re still missing the mark. Oh well. It’s late, so he shuts the laptop and starts to get ready for bed. 

Skincare routine complete, David decides to check one last time before sleep. 

**Pucky_Brewster** has sent you a private message. 

Curious. David opens the message.

_ “Hey there! I get the sense that your general questions are actually more specific in nature, and I’d be more than happy to help, if you want to give more information.” _

Oh. Well, that’s really nice. 

David types out a quick reply.

Three little dots appear. Pucky_Brewster appears to still be online. David settles in bed, the laptop the only light illuminating the room. He’s thankful Alexis is spending the night with Ted.

An hour later, he’s shared more specific details with Pucky_Brewster, who has doled out all sorts of useful advice. Unfortunately, by the time midnight rolls around, and they both need to sleep, the final piece of advice is that David really needs to make an appointment with his municipal business office to file paperwork. He bids Pucky_Brewster good night, with a promise to do just that, and shuts the laptop. 

A few days later, David cracks open the laptop once again. There’s a message on Reddit from Pucky_Brewster.

_ “Hey! Did you manage to get in to see somebody?” _

_ Boy _ . Did he ever.

“Yeah, and the guy basically told me my business was going to fail.”

For the next hour, David and Pucky_Brewster debrief on the meeting, and by the time David needs to leave for lunch with his family, he’s feeling a little lighter, a little more optimistic, and after a relaxing joint with Stevie, and several failed phone calls, he’s a little more prepared to try and tackle the overwhelming amount of bureaucratic paperwork necessary to get the Rose Apothecary off the ground.

It helps that the cute, but too-confident-for-his-own-good municipal clerk listened to the voicemails from those failed phone calls, and managed to fill out David’s paperwork for him. And if there’s details in the description from an online conversation held earlier in the day, then David didn’t notice. Paperwork has never been his strong suit. 

Over the course of the next six weeks, David’s confidence grows. The municipal business clerk -  _ Patrick -  _ seamlessly integrates himself into David’s business, with a smile that makes David’s stomach do flip-flops, faith in David that makes his heart clench, and confidence that makes David want to pin him up against the brick wall in the back room. But they’re  _ business partners _ and for the first time in his life, David prioritizes his future self over his present physical needs and just really doesn’t want to fuck this up. Yet, anyway. 

Besides, every night, he goes back to the motel, cracks open his laptop and spends hours chatting with Pucky_Brewster. Their conversation has long since deviated from the minutiae of business in rural Ontario, and has meandered in and out of relationship and family. And every night, David goes to bed feeling more than a little guilty, as though he’s somehow... _ cheating _ on Patrick, by chatting with Pucky_Brewster, and it’s all more than a little confusing. 

The reality is, he’s never felt more seen and valued and worthy than he does when with Patrick,  _ and _ when chatting with Pucky_Brewster, and it’s such a new feeling that he wants to hold each one of them precious.

He really wishes they could meet, but Pucky’s profile says he’s in Toronto, and David doesn’t yet have the means to even make the three hour drive. 

Pucky’s there when David’s ex comes to town, tries to exploit David’s mom, and David takes matters into his own hands in a way that he is simultaneously proud and ashamed of. David feels grateful for Pucky’s empathy and validation, because there’s just simply no one in town that David feels he could be so vulnerable with as to explain the reasons why he gave of his physical self so freely to protect his family. He feels safe to share his fears, his hopes, his desire, and one night, he eventually caves and shares with Pucky the feelings for his business partner he feels are going to burst from his chest.

Like everything else, Pucky listens to David and asks only supportive and validating questions. With Pucky’s encouragement, David’s fingers fly over the keyboard, enumerating the reasons he is falling hard for his business partner. He can’t help but tell Pucky how safe he felt in his business partner’s arms when they finally embraced after opening day. 

If Patrick hugs David a little longer and a little tighter the next day, David is too lost in the sensation to notice. 

The last night that Pucky_Brewster and EveryRoseHasItsThorn chat, David lays out his frustration about the following day. Alexis is finally graduating high school, and that’s overshadowing the fact that it’s David’s birthday. And it’s been a really fucking long time since something  _ didn’t _ overshadow David’s birthday. So long, in fact, that he’s pretty sure his entire family has forgotten the date. 


	2. Chapter 2

Patrick places a coffee and cupcake on the counter. “Happy birthday, David,” he says, a small smile teasing at his lips. “And how old are we?”

David shoots him a glance that could stop a charging grizzly in its tracks. 

Patrick chuckles and picks up the spray bottle to freshen up the vegetables at the front of the store. He watches as David takes a sip of the coffee and a slow bite of the cupcake. His brow is furrowed when he turns to face Patrick. 

“How did you know it’s my birthday?”

_ Shit _ . 

_ Think fast think fast thinkfasterfuck. _

“It was on the incorporation paperwork?” Patrick tries. 

David shakes his head. “Nope, no, it wasn’t.”

“Alexis told me?” 

“Nope, no, she didn’t.” David’s eyes are now narrow slits.

Patrick has never prayed so hard in his life for some sort of divine intervention.

David closes the distance between them, stopping within slapping distance, his arms crossed.

“I’ve only told  _ one _ person my birthday since I moved here, Patrick. So, How. do.  _ you. _ know?”

He punctuates each word forcefully. 

Patrick doesn’t answer. He mindlessly continues spritzing the vegetables, his eyes downcast.

“Those are really wet now,” he mutters, and tries to step past David for a paper towel.

David grabs his wrist. “It’s...it’s you, isn’t it?”

Patrick finally looks up at him. There’s no use in furthering the deception. He clears his throat. 

“Well. Yeah. Pucky_Brewster...friendly neighbourhood small business consultant...at your service,” he says with a sardonic flourish of his hand. 

David’s mouth drops open. “Wh-...but...why? I’ve spent every day with you in the store for the last six weeks, and every evening with... _ the other you _ ,” he sputters gesturing outside of the store.

Patrick’s shoulders drop in defeat. “What was I supposed to do, David? I was  _ already _ spending everyday here with you, falling for you more and more with each passing moment, but I wanted  _ more _ . I didn’t want to scare you off by telling you that I felt like a lovesick pathetic puppy who just wanted to know anything and everything about you.”

David’s arms are still crossed. His brow still deep in furrow. His lips are pursed. 

The seconds tick by tortuously. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll go,” Patrick sighs, resigned. He sets the spray bottle on the front table and moves to the front door, pulling it open. The jangle of the bell even sounds sad.

“Wait,” David whispers. So quiet that Patrick isn’t even sure he heard anything, but he pauses nonetheless.

“Come back.” A little louder this time. 

Patrick steps back inside, but just barely.

“I’ve spent six weeks... _ six weeks _ ! Feeling guilty about how much I’ve loved spending everyday with  _ you _ and then going home  _ alone _ and staying up late talking to someone else.  _ Feeling seen _ and  _ valued _ for the first time in my life...and...it’s _ you _ .  _ It’s been you all along _ ?”

“That is correct,” Patrick sighs.

David scrubs a hand over his face. “God, this is like one of those perfect moments you dream about, except -”

Patrick looks at David. All the sternness is gone from his expression, and his eyes are soft and fond. 

“Except?” Patrick manages to squeak out.

“Except, in my dream, you’d be kissing me by now.” 

Patrick steps into David’s space. David slides his hands down Patrick’s arms, stilling on his biceps. Their eyes meet in one final confirmation. 

The first press of lips causes a lightning bolt to flash down Patrick’s spine and a burst of fireworks behind his eyes. David’s lips are soft and pliant and moving so slowly against his own. He shivers when David’s hand wraps around his jaw, the cool metal of his rings sharp against his skin as David tightens his grip, deepens the kiss. 

Patrick wants more. He parts his lips slightly, enough to let his tongue slip out and trace David’s upper lip. David lets him in, letting Patrick explore a moment before taking charge and pulling Patrick in as close as possible, tangling their tongues with increasing intensity. 

Eventually the need for adequate oxygen wins out, and they pull back from each other, but still close enough that David’s a little cross-eyed as he looks at Patrick. 

“Wait a minute,” he gasps out, trying to catch his breath. “ _ Falling  _ for me?”

“Mm-mm.” Patrick shakes his head vigorously. “Past tense, David. Fucking  _ fallen. _ ” And with that, he reaches behind them to lock the front door, and dives right back into kissing David as he walks them towards the backroom. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess I wasn't *quite* done here.

“So,” David says, pausing to chew his mozzarella stick. “Pucky_Brewster?”

Patrick laughs. “Yeah. Hockey and - “

“A throwback to one of the 1980s worst sitcoms?”

“Something like that. Besides, I’ve got my 12-year verified badge and 46,000 comment karma, I’m not about to change it now.”

“I don’t know what any of that means.”

“What about you, David? EveryRoseHasItsThorn? Isn’t that a little...cliche?”

“Um,  _ excuse you _ , but maybe I created the account during my emo candy-raver phase.”

“Well, David, your profile says your account is 41 days old, so unless you  _ just _ got rid of the asymmetrical haircut and pacifier necklaces three days before we met, I’d say that’s a lie.”

“Fine. But have you ever actually  _ listened  _ to those lyrics? It’s surprisingly beautiful.”

“Okay, David.”

David finishes the last mozzarella stick. “So, what now?”

Patrick tilts his head thoughtfully. “Well, what usually happens after the first kiss and the credits roll?”

“...they live happily ever after.”

“Sounds good to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to DesignatedGrape for boing-fwipping (watch [ this clip from Scrubs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0gm0R9I1aQ) if you don't know) my own advice back to me when I was struggling with how plotty this needed to be. 
> 
> Also, I am 791 behind in comments to respond to, and I am a little overwhelmed. So I did what I do best, nap, come up with an idea to write, drink beer and barf out words instead. Rest assured, every comment and kudo warms my generally cold-for-everything-except-dogs-mrpotato-and-david-and-patrick, so thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance if I never get to responding.


End file.
